Speed changing mechanism for cotton gin feeders and the like



' Mmhw, W36. H, R JR zmww SPEED CHANGINGMECHANISM FOR COTTON GIN FEEDERSAND THE LIKE Filed July 23, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mamlh 1U, 1936. H, E JR fl33fi5 SPEED CHANGING-MECHANISM FOR COTTON GIN FEEDERS AND THE LIKE Filed July 23, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i a 1*75 A is w Patented Mar. 10, 1936 PATENT OFFICE,

T'ON FEEDERS AND THE Hugh Roberts, in, Columbus, Gas, assignor to Cen-Tennial Cotton Gin .00., flolumbus, Ga.,

a corporation of Georgia ApplicationJuly .23,

' 4 G'laims.

This invention relates to improvements in change speedmechanism, and isrnore particularly advantageously employed with devices of the nature of cotton .gins where it is necessary to s. have a simple and easily operated device that is not readily susceptible of derangement.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision .of a change speed gearing employing a selectively positioned gear, and means for 1-9. selecting and holding the gear in position for the particular speed desired.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of gearing including aselectlng gear and means for positioning the same in and out of 1,5 engagement with a second gear member, in conjunction with means for latching the gear against movement toward .or from another position of speed selection.

A further feature of the presentinvention is 20 the provision of .a change speed gearing including a gear which is movable in one direction for dis engagement from another gear member and movable in a second direction to prepare it for a change of speed, in association with means for holding the gear latched when in enga ement and in a position of nonengagement with the gear member.

With these and other features as .Obj cuts in View.

an illustrative form of practicing the invention 3 ..ls shown on the accompanyin drawin in which: Figure 1 is an end elevation of acotton gin feeder, with the present invention applied thereto. Figure 2 is a side view, with parts broken away, 3,5 of the change speed mechanism on a large scale.

Figure '3 is a face view of the same. Figure 4 is a view on the axis of the spline shaft. Figures 5, 6 and "7 are sectional views substantially on line -5 of Fig. 2, showing the mechalio. nism in three different positions.

Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views on alarger scale respectively of the slider member and of the double cam.

In these drawings, thecotton gin feeder is g illustrated as having a general housing H) provided with a top feed opening '11., a discharge chute l2, and shafts l3 connected to cleaning, stripping and conveying devices located within the housing; since such devices are well known in the art, they are not more closely identified herein. These shafts are connected by belts I4 and I5 which pass over appropriately sized pulleys I6.

In the illustrated form of the present invention, 55 a shaft |3a for a cleaning roll extends through 1935, ,Serial No. 82396 the end of the housing (Figs. 1, 3 and 4) and is provided with a worm located within a casing 21 which is secured to the end wall of the housing I0. The illustrative form in Fig. 1 shows that a belt and pulley drive ll (located at the other end of the feeder) establishes .a driving connection between the shaft 13a and another shaft I3 of the driven system.

As shown in Fig. 4, the worm 2i! meshes with a worm wheel 2-2 which is secured to a spline shaft 23. This spline shaft is preferably provided with a universal joint 24. The lower end of the spline shaft 23, in Fig. 4. is carried :by a bearing block 25 which is held witmn the casing 21 by a screw 2:6,

The spline shaft 23 receives a driving pinion having teeth which engage in apertures in a driven grid plate 3|. This. driven plate is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 as having six rows of concentric rows of such apertures, each having a different number of apertures from the others, This driven plate 3| is fixed on a shaft 32 which illustratively is assumed to be connected to a feeding roller (not shown) of the cotton gin feeder.

A stirrup piece 33 has apertured arms 34 which fit around the spline shaft 23 and are spaced a distance closely approximating the length of the pinion .30, so that movement of the stirrup produces movement of the pinion .azdally of the spline shaft 23, the key 35 being'likewise detained and .held within the pinion and engaged with a keyway in the spline shaft 23, so that the shaft compels rotation of the pinion.

The stirrup 33 supports two bolts 36 which extend through a web 31 of a slider member 38 which has eyes fitting around the two guide rods 39 which themselves are supported fixedly by a bracket 41] mounted on the end of housing Ill and a bracket extension piece 41 which is connected to the bracket 4.0 by a strong back member 42..

The bolts 36 have heads for compressing springs 43 against the web 31 when the stirrup is moved to engaged position (Fig. 5) 7 An adjusting shaft 45 has anoperating knob 45 at its lower end and extends slidably through an eye 21a of the casing 2!, and may also slide in apertures provided in the bracket and the extension piece 41.

Fixed to this adjusting shaft is a double cam member having a pair of curved. noses 41 for engaging the stirrup 33, and also including a pair of latching noses 48 for engaging between the teeth 49 of the strong back member 42. It is preferred to have the latching noses 48 formed i with bevels 48a attheir ends for guiding the parts into proper alignment before the pinion 30 is moved into engagement with the driven plate 3|.

The operation of the structure is as follows:

As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pinion 30 is engaged with the second row of apertures from the outer edge of the disk, corresponding to the second slowest speed. The adjusting shaft 45 and its double cam is presenting flattened ends of the cam noses 41 against the stirrups 33; the double cam is detained against further counterclockwise movement by projections 33a of the stirrup 33; and the pinion 30 is held fixedly in engagement. The springs 43 are compressed,

and their extension is prevented by the flat on the;

The drive is proceedends of the cam noses 41. ing to the shaft |3a and thence by worm and wormwheel 22 to the spline shaft 23, and through the universal 24 to pinion 3|], and thus to the driven plate 3|.

If it be desired to interrupt the driving of the shaft 32, the knob 46 is given a partial rotation in a; clockwise direction, so that the springs 43 operate to draw the stirrup 33 and therewith the pinion away from the driven plate 3|, so that the meshing engagement is interrupted and the spline shaft 23 continues to rotate, but the driven plate 3| is no longer actuated. This operation results in a movement of the axis of the upper part of the spline shaft 23, as permitted by the universal joint 24.

Re-engagement may be effected by turning the knob 46 in a counterclockwise direction so that the noses 41 force the stirrups 33 toward the left from the position of Fig. 6 into that of Fig. 5. A tooth of the pinion 30 soon engages an aperture in the'driven plate 3|, and the movement may be completed so that the parts regain the position of Fig. 5.

When it is desired to change the speed of drive, the parts are brought to the position of Fig. 6, if not already therein, and further clockwise movement is then given to the knob 46, so thatthe latching noses 48 are moved out of engagement with the rack teeth 49 (Fig. 7), and then an endwise sliding movement is given the knob 46, so that the shaft 45 moves axially. At this time, the stirrup 33 has its projections 33a fitting over the web 31, and the shaft transmits its movement directly to the double cam and thence to the sliding member 38 and to the stirrup 33, so that the latter causes an axial movement of the pinion 30 along the spline shaft 23 into a desired position. When the pinion 3|] is opposite the desired row of apertures in the driven plate 3|, the knob 46 is given a counterclockwise movement from the position of Fig. 7 into that of Fig. 6. During this movement, the beveled ends 48a of the latching noses 48 enter into the spaces between adjacent teeth and operate to guide the double cam into a proper position in the axial direction of the spline shaft 23 and thus to present the pinion 3|] at a proper radial position with respect to the driven plate 3| for accurate reengagement. The transmission of power is then effected by continuing the movement of the knob 46 to restore the parts to the position of Fig. 5.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited solely to the form of construction shown, but

stantially parallel to said driving shaft, a plurality of fixed latching teeth located adjacent said adjusting shaft, and a cam device fixed to said adjusting shaft and engageable and disengageable from said teeth, said device also ineluding means for introducing said pinion into mesh with one said row while the device is engaging corresponding said teeth.

2. A change speed mechanism comprising a first shaft, a pinion compelled to rotate with but slidable along said shaft, a rotatable structure including a plurality of rows of members for selective meshing engagement by said pinion, an adjusting shaft, first means connected to move axially with said adjusting shaft for shifting said pinion axially along said first shaft, second means connected for movement when the adjusting shaft is rotated for causing the pinion to mesh with or leave a selected row of members, and devices also connected for movement when the adjusting shaft is rotated for securing the pinion against axial movement when in mesh with a row of said members. I

3. A change speed mechanism comprising a frame, a shaft, a pinion compelled to rotate with but slidable along said shaft, a rotatable structure including a plurality of rows of membersjfor selective meshing engagement by said pinion, a spring normally tending toeffect meshing of the pinion anda. row of members, means for compressing said spring to disengage said pinion from said members, means for sliding the pinion from position opposite one row to a position opposite anotherrow, means'for holding said pinion in alignment with a selected row of members comprising devices on the frame and on said sliding means,v

and interconnecting devices between said compressing and holding means for preventing release of the compressed spring when the pinion isnot in alignment with a row of members.

4. A chain speed mechanism comprising a spline shaft a pinion for rotation but slidable along said spline shaft, a slidable structure including a plurality of rows of members for selective meshing engagement by said pinion, a stirrup piece embracing the spline shaft and operative for determining the position of the pinion thereon, a slider member, means connecting the stirrup piece and slider member so that they move axially together, a rotatable member, a double cam member secured to said rotatable member and having. a cam nose for effecting movement of said stirrup piece to effect meshing and disengage ment of said pinion from said rotatable structure and also having another cam nose, and fixed devices cooperative with said other cam nose for latching said rotatable and slider members and stirrup piece against axial movement of the.

pinion. HUGH ROBERTS, JR. 

